Stretchable and Bendable Polydimethylsiloxane- Silver Composite Antenna on PDMS/Air Gap Substrate for 5G Wearable Applications

An engineered composite conductor is essential for developing a wearable antenna that is not only flexible but also stretchable. This paper presents the use of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the substrate and custom polydimethylsiloxane-silver conductive paste for wearable applications. The antenna is designed with an air gap PDMS substrate between the patch and sawtooth partial ground at 3.5 GHz to enhance the bandwidth and gain. Furthermore, the proposed antenna is flexible and can be bent as well as stretched up to 20%, making it suitable for use on the human body. This study investigates the antenna’s performance under bending and stretching to mimic the human body’s structure and movements. Additionally, the specific absorption rate (SAR) of the wearable antenna was analyzed for safety purposes.